Medibank Health Solutions has finalised an agreement with Ramsay Health Care to provide hospital services to the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
Ramsay Health Care is Australia's largest operator of private hospitals, with 66 hospitals across the country from Cairns to Perth, providing services to almost 900,000 patients per annum.
The deal is part of new arrangements to deliver quality healthcare services to 80,000 permanent and reserve personnel in the ADF. Under the scheme there are now 200 private hospitals available nationally.
"This is an important agreement for us. Ramsay already has a solid reputation as a quality provider of healthcare services to veterans and ADF personnel," said Dr Andrew Wilson of Medibank Health Solutions.
"In addition to their comprehensive range of acute medical and surgical hospitals, Ramsay is the largest private provider of mental health and rehabilitation services in the country," said Dr Wilson.
The new national healthcare scheme for the ADF will be co-ordinated through a central booking service and gives eligible personnel access to a full range of on and off-base medical services. It also includes a state-of-the-art 24/7 health hotline delivering the full spectrum of triage, medical advice, referral and information services.